Guillermo Arriaga on Directing “The Burning Plain”

“The Burning Plain,” a new indie film that opens today, is comprised of several seemingly unrelated subplots that revolve around actress Charlize Theron’s promiscuous restaurant manager Sylvia. The interwoven romantic mystery also stars Kim Basinger, Jennifer Lawrence and John Corbett, and is the directorial debut of Guillermo Arriaga, best known for writing “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada,” “Babel,” and “21 Grams.” Speakeasy spoke to Arriaga at the film’s New York premiere, where he shared his thoughts on making a movie during an economic downturn, globalization and today’s most influential Spanish-speaking directors.

The Wall Street Journal: Since you made this movie during the recession, what’s one thing you did to cut costs?

Guillermo Arriaga: It’s a pity that the movie came out in these times. [For example,] it was shown on video-on-demand before hitting the theaters because any [distribution method] that will bring the audience is very welcome.

Who do you think are today’s most influential Spanish-speaking moviemakers?

Mexico, my country, has found powerful fortune in bringing out wonderful directors and writers. One of the greatest masters of cinema is a [filmmaker] who has been exiled from Iran. So I think globalization has allowed lives from all over to come here.

Do you think American audiences are more accepting of non-U.S. influences in films now?

I absolutely think so. I think America is a culture that has been growing up thanks to uncertainty. America is a country that embraces other cultures. I’ve been making this type of [cross-cultural] movie for 20 years now and people have kept coming. Good dramatic films, like “American Beauty,” [will find] an audience.

Now that you’ve directed your first film, do you want to continue directing or keep writing?

I want to keep writing, directing and producing in whatever terms I can because I love the cinema.

About Speakeasy

Speakeasy is a blog covering media, entertainment, celebrity and the arts. The publication is produced by Barbara Chai and Jonathan Welsh with contributions from the Wall Street Journal staff and others. Write to us at speakeasy@wsj.com or follow us on Twitter at @WSJSpeakeasy or individually @barbarachai.